Best Cream for Psoriasis

When looking for the best cream to treat your psoriasis, it really all depends on the severity of your symptoms and whether you want to use pharmaceutical preparations or more natural ingredients. Topical creams and ointments are usually prescribed for mild psoriasis and I will look at some of the best creams available.

Topical Steroids

Steroid creams are one of the first treatment options for people with psoriasis. Hydrocortisone is the mildest steroid cream and can be bought over the counter in 1% strength. This low strength cream is best suited to use on the face. However, for more stubborn cases of psoriasis, a higher strength steroid cream can be obtained by prescription only. Steroid creams work quickly and effectively. However, they should not be used long-term because they can cause side effects such as thinning and discoloration of the skin.

Vitamin D Derivatives

Vitamin D derivatives such as Calcipotriol (Dovonex) and Talcalcitol (Curatoderm) are safer than steroid creams for long-term use. They don’t work as quickly as steroids and so improvement is slow and gradual with the maximum effect taking up to twelve weeks. Vitamin D treatments act by slowing down the growth of skin cells and by promoting normal growth.

Vitamin A Derivatives

Vitamin A derivatives such as Tazorac (tazatarotene) are used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis which affects the nails, face, or scalp. Some of the side effects include skin irritation and dryness.

Coal tar products

Coal tar products have been used as a topical treatment for psoriasis for hundreds of years. Tar shampoos can be helpful in treating psoriasis of the scalp, whilst other forms of coal tar can be applied to the skin. Even though it’s not fully understood how they work, coal tar products seem to slow down cell growth. They are safe to use and can take anything from six to twelve weeks to work.

Moisturizing Creams

Moisturizing creams and lotions are used to keep the skin hydrated and soft in order to help control flare-ups in mild cases of psoriasis. In general, the greasier the lotion the better it is to trap moisture. Moisturizing creams that act as a barrier to keep skin smooth and soft are those that contain white soft paraffin, lanolin, petrolatum and aqueous cream. These are found in brands such as E45 and Oilatum.

However, if you’re not keen on using products containing ingredients such as paraffin and lanolin, you could try using a more natural cream containing Dead Sea salts. Dead Sea salts contain therapeutic minerals which have long been used in the treatment of psoriasis and are a safe and natural option.

Another ingredient to look out for is aloe vera. One particular study has shown that the use of external aloe vera was more effective placebo in treating psoriasis. Aloe vera has many therapeutic properties which make it effective in treating not only psoriasis, but other skin problems. Aloe vera has been shown to be non-toxic and safe to use.

When it comes to choosing the best cream for psoriasis, it really all depends on how severe and how quickly you want to get rid of your psoriasis. Steroids work very quickly and effectively in the short-term, but most other treatments can take many weeks to get the results you want.